My mother died on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. My father was there by her side as she took her last breaths. They were the loves of each other’s lives, married fifty-five years. She was the best mom ever, and there’s a hole inside me that wasn’t there before. The two years since her surgery for lung cancer have taken forever. They passed … Continue reading Goodbye mom.
On grief and grieving. Did you know that Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ 1969 book “On Death and Dying” was written for medical practitioners? She wanted to address the treatment protocols for dying patients by providing information to fellow practitioners on what the experience was like for their terminal patients. It’s not a blueprint for people going through the grieving process after they’ve lost someone as I always … Continue reading The fractured nature of (my) grief.
There are some beautiful, knowledgeable posts up about St. Paddy’s Day and the different celebrations that abound. There are probably ones teaching a bit about the day as well. This isn’t one of those. I know very little besides the demand to wear green. I have a legitimate claim to the day – great-grandma on my dad’s side was Irish, and his mother, though raised … Continue reading Happy St. Patrick’s Day – an off-the-cuff joint.
I’ve had four solid panic attacks over the last two weeks. Sometimes, you’ll get a hint of one pending but you can head it off. This was not the case here. They’re all connected to foster parenting, and the fear I’m doing something wrong or have made a mistake. My brain is not a fan of the mistake, and since everything I’m doing right now … Continue reading Tidal panic attacks – they ebb and flow – an off-the-cuff joint.
From Famine to Feast. 